vintage hats Archives - Polly Singer

Polly’s Vintage Hats

Polly Singer — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 15:16:12 +0000

Vintage clothes are always the best and hats are no exception! Here is some historical context behind these incredible vintage pieces!

This small round cream colored hat is covered in tiny white flowers with flex of yellow-green and purple. This style of hat was called the “pork pie” (or also boater). The style was popular for men and women and is now considered a timeless look. It gets its name after the resemblance to the pork pie which is a traditional English meat pie. The first known establishment of the pork pie style was sometime during the late 1800s. But it mainly became popular during the 1920s. Many hats of this time were also covered in flowers and flowers were a huge accessory to the hats. The hat style actually became popular in the United States due to silent film star Buster Keaton who worn many of them in his films! The hat went on to go in and out of style and during the 1940s for both men and women. The hat style then became popular in the 1940s within the African American culture usually styled along with the zoot suit!



This light tan hat has a light pink ribbon tied around it with white Daisy flowers. This style is called a cartwheel hat. This style was popular throughout the 1930s into the 1950s. This style was largely associate with Christian Dior’s “New Look” style. The traditional style consisted of a tight fitting, frame-hugging top and a full skirt with the wide hat. Hats of the 1920s, for example, were smaller and much closer to the face, however, around the late 1930s early 1940s the style began to change to a round and wider shape. The hat size also got wider as women’s hairstyles got bigger.
Now this style much more 1920s inspired. This cloche style hat can be seen in many different forms during the decades. Felt cloche hats were very common among the women of the 1920s. The cloche style was very popular during the 1920s as it complimented the short bob style haircut that was all the rage of the 1920s. This cute tan hat with a rounded top has a light pink ribbon tied around it. This hat gives an almost bonnet look from the front with the big rounded top. This cloche style hat continued to be popular all throughout the 20th century, but this bonnet inspired look was at its peak of fashion during the 1930s and 1940s.

The post Polly’s Vintage Hats appeared first on Polly Singer.

Hats On For Hembree – Vintage Fashion Show

Polly Singer — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:22:45 +0000

One of the cool things about having a website is that I meet many new friends. A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune of being asked to speak in Roswell, Georgia at an event that the Roswell Historical Society hosted. It was a luncheon/vintage hat show called “Hats Off For Hembree”. The event was a fundraiser for the Hembree Farm project.

The vintage hat show was the idea of the Hembree Family descendant, Carmen Ford. She graciously loaned nearly 30 vintage hats to the Roswell Historical Society for the luncheon. Many of the hats had been worn by her grandmother. Sherron Lawson researched and wrote the information that was read as each hat was modeled. The hats were simply spectacular. It was a quite a treat for everyone to take a trip to past and not only view the vintage hats, but also learn about designers and millinery history as well.

I donated the Eliza At Ascot hat to the Historical Society. They decided to make it a raffle item, so that everyone who bought a ticket was eligible to win it. Cakes by Darcy got involved and designed a cake to look exactly like the Eliza at Ascot hat! It was a treat to see such culinary creativity. Cakes by Darcy also donated 3 cakes that looked like hat boxes, albeit very tasty ones!

All in all, it was such a pleasant day. There were almost 90 people at the event. For those of you who haven’t visited Roswell, Georgia, it is a lovely historic town. Unlike Atlanta, it was virtually untouched during the Civil War, so there are many historic homes to visit.

By: Polly Singer

The post Hats On For Hembree – Vintage Fashion Show appeared first on Polly Singer.

Fall Hat Month

Polly Singer — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:42:45 +0000

It’s currently 86 degrees. One can hardly interpret this as a nip in the air, however fall is just around the corner.

Did you know that September is Fall Hat Month?

How to celebrate?

Bring out your fall hats. Do any need repairs?
You can always a purchase a new hat to suit your mood and complement items in your fall wardrobe.
Color wise, you can never go wrong with navy, winter white, grey, black, taupe and brown colors. Winter white is stunning on most people. Visit this link to read our blog about winter white hats.
I’d also like to call your attention to vintage pieces. Visit your favorite vintage store to see fall vintage hat.s ds me of a number of similar styles accessorizing Ralph Lauren’s fall collection.

I enjoy summer’s laid back attitude and am sorry to see it end. The prospect of finding the perfect hat for cooler weather may one of the season’s most rewarding compensations. I wish you all a happy Hat Month and happy hunting.

by Polly Singer

The post Fall Hat Month appeared first on Polly Singer.

The Constant Popularity of Vintage Fashion

Polly Singer — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:41:01 +0000

I’m always amazed at the constant popularity of vintage fashion. I’ve got a few theories why vintage is always hot.

It’s unique. Tired of the same old clothing that everyone can buy at the mall? Go visit a vintage store. You’ll find treasures that no one else has and they will most likely be better constructed than today’s clothing.
Vintage can be less expensive than new clothing. I recently found a 1960’s lemon yellow coat for $35.00 in a local store. College students and lawyers can shop at the same store and both come home with a treasure.
The thrill of the hunt. There is nothing better than going out for a latte and finding a vintage Bill Blass animal print coat in mint condition. We all know that thrill of finding that treasure. I have to remember to breathe and not hyperventillate when I come across the perfect Schiaparelli hat !
We love the past. Some people buy vintage because it reminds them of an earlier time. Others purchase vintage items because it reminds them of their grandmother. Still others love vintage because it takes them back to another time where we weren’t always on call through cell phones, email, instant messaging, etc.

Of course, all vintage isn’t equal. Face it, there is a lot of junk out there. Sometimes I find exactly what I want and other times, I have to search through 30 or so hats, none of them wearable, to find that perfect hat. The hats have to be examined for holes and stains. There are some great hats, but they are too small and just not wearable. Some have to be repaired and restored when I bring them to the studio. Finally, there are the hats that are indeed lovely, but no matter what, just aren’t able to be restored. However, that never stops me from searching…..you never know what might be around the corner!

By Polly Singer

The post The Constant Popularity of Vintage Fashion appeared first on Polly Singer.